[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 146 (Friday, August 14, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SUPPORTING EARLY-CAREER RESEARCHERS ACT

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 14, 2020

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today I am joined by my 
colleagues, Representatives Lucas, Beyer, Garcia, Lipinski, Bonamici, 
Tonko, and Cohen, in introducing the Supporting Early-Career 
Researchers Act.
  Our nation's research enterprise is reeling from the unprecedented 
disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis. To slow the spread of the 
virus, universities across the country have been forced to cancel in-
person classes and shut down campus operations. And today, six months 
into this crisis and with no relief in sight, universities are once 
again faced with impossible decisions about the upcoming academic year.
  I want to thank universities for their commitment to doing their part 
to slow the spread of the virus and for their commitment to ensuring 
the safety of their students, faculty, and staff. In the absence of 
clear guidance or a national strategy from this Administration, 
universities have stepped up to donate personal protective equipment, 
reconfigure laboratory space and equipment for COVID-19 research, 
institute social distancing measures, transition to remote education, 
provide for testing and contact tracing, and accommodate the needs of 
international students.
  These actions, while laudable, have come at a cost. The full extent 
of the financial loss incurred by universities during this crisis is 
unknowable at this point. Recent surveys of university presidents 
conducted by the American Council of Education reveal that short- and 
long-term financial viability are pressing concerns. And, in order to 
stave off catastrophe, many universities have instituted hiring freezes 
and cancelled new faculty hires.
  I am deeply concerned about the disappearance of STEM job 
opportunities and the potential long-term consequences for our STEM 
pipeline. For established researchers, the COVID-19 crisis has severely 
limited their access to their laboratory space. But for early career 
researchers, these disruptions come at a critical juncture in their 
research career, threatening to derail their career path.
  Even in normal times, postdoctoral research positions provide little 
job security, with most postdocs employed on two-year contracts. Now 
that the research job market has severely contracted, postdocs find 
themselves in a truly precarious position. Many of them may be forced 
to abandon their career path altogether in order to support themselves 
and their families.
  The Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act establishes a $250 
million postdoctoral fellowship pilot program at the National Science 
Foundation. This program would provide a much-needed bridge to help 
early career researchers weather this storm and prevent a permanent 
loss of STEM talent our nation can ill afford. I look forward to moving 
this bill quickly and working with my colleagues on the Appropriations 
committee to ensure it is funded.

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